Lesotho Premier League
The Lesotho Premier League also known as Vodacom Premier League is the top football division in Lesotho and was created in 1970. Vodacom Lesotho are the current league sponsor and will back the Premier League for three seasons (2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12). Vodacom Lesotho are also the sponsor of the annual Vodacom Soccer Spectacular knockout competition, Lesotho's national cup tournament. Format Until the end of the 2009/10 season there were are sixteen clubs in the Premier League. However this has changed for the 2010/11 season after four teams were relegated at the end of the 2009/10 season following the instruction of the Mohale Declaration, a roadmap introduced by FIFA in 2008 which intends to create a professional league in Lesotho with 12 teams by 2014. The 2010/11 Premier League is currently being contested by 14 clubs. During the course of the 2010/11 season (which lasts from August to May) each club plays the other twice, once at home and once away for a total of 26 games for each club. Four teams will be relegated at the end of the season. Next season the Lesotho Premier League will be contested by 12 teams. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a defeat. The champion of the Premier League qualifies to represent Lesotho in the ORANGE CAF Champions League. In the past the second placed team in the Premier League used to advance to the CAF Confederation Cup, which is the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League however this was stopped at the turn of the century because of a lack of funds. The Lesotho Premier League is still played on an amateur status. Sponsorship Since 2002, Lesotho's Premier League has been sponsored by Telecommunications companies. Econet Telecom Lesotho through its Prepaid product Buddie, sponsored the Premier League and Lesotho's lower leagues (the A-Division, B-Division and C-Division) from 2002 until 2009. In 2009 Lesotho's football governing the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) ended its seven year association with Econet Telecom Lesotho and signed a three year partnership with Vodacom Lesotho. As part of the deal Vodacom Lesotho agreed to sponsor the Premier League and all lower leagues for a combined M1 million per season for three years. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they have called the Lesotho Premier League: * 2002–09: Econet Telecom Lesotho (Buddie Premier League) * 2009–: Vodacom Lesotho (Vodacom Premier League) 2011-12 season *Bantu (Mafeteng) *Joy (Leribe) *Lesotho Correctional Services (Maseru) (Champions) *Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *Lerotholi Polytechnic (Maseru) *Likhopo (Maseru) *Linare FC (Leribe) *Lioli FC (Teyateyaneng) *LMPS (Maseru) *Maduma (Butha-Buthe) *Majantja (Quthing) *Matlama FC (Maseru) *Mpharane Celtics *Mphatlalatsane (Leribe) Previous Winners, Runner-ups and Relegations Previous winners *1970 : Maseru United *1971 : Majantja FC (Mohale's Hoek) *1972 : Police (Maseru) *1973 : Linare FC (Leribe) *1974 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1975 : Maseru FC *1976 : Maseru United *1977 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1978 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1979 : Linare FC (Leribe) *1980 : Linare FC (Leribe) *1981 : Maseru Brothers *1982 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1983 : Lesotho Paramilitary Forces (Maseru) *1984 : Lesotho Paramilitary Forces (Maseru) *1985 : Lioli FC (Teyateyaneng) *1986 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1987 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *1988 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1989 : Arsenal (Maseru) *1990 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *1991 : Arsenal (Maseru) *1992 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *1993 : Arsenal (Maseru) *1994 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *1995 : Majantja FC (Mohale's Hoek) *1996 : Roma Rovers (Maseru) *1997 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *1998 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *1999 : Royal Lesotho Defence Force (Maseru) *2000 : Lesotho Prisons Service (Maseru) *2001 : Lesotho Defence Force FC (Maseru) *2002 : Lesotho Prisons Service (Maseru) *2003 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *2004 : Lesotho Defence Force FC (Maseru) *2005 : Likhopo (Maseru) *2006 : Likhopo (Maseru) *2007 : Lesotho Correctional Services (Maseru) *2008 : Lesotho Correctional Services (Maseru) *2009 : Lioli FC (Teyateyaneng) *2010 : Matlama FC (Maseru) *2011 : Lesotho Correctional Services (Maseru) Performance By Club Topscorers Premier League domestic cups *Lesotho Independence Cup(Top 4) *MGC Supa 8 *Vodacom Soccer Spectacular External links *RSSSF competition history *Official Lioli Football Club Website *(supersport)Website *Confederation of African Football (CAF) Official Website Category:Leagues